Time To Build A Stompbox (BYOC)

[LLL]

I've built & modded Marshalls & guitars - now it's time to go small and build a pedal.

Going with the BYOC Yellow Overdrive, which uses the 14-pin Raytheon chip found in the originals of the late 70's.

[Aceman]

What is it that that specific chip contributes to the sound?

[ErikH]

That's the old Boss OD-1 clone. Hell yeah. Definitely report back.

The way it was made with that chip, it had a very big and warm sound. The input and output buffers utilized the chip as well as the gain stage. The 8-pin chip version of the OD-1 utilizes transistors for the input/output buffers and the chip is utilized in the gain stage. The OD-1 also used different inputs/outputs (in both the 14-pin and 8-pin versions) on the chip versus the SD-1.

That's one kit that I'm wanting to do myself.

[Securb]

What is it that that specific chip contributes to the sound?

The chip has very little to do with the overdrive sound.

[LLL]

What is it that that specific chip contributes to the sound?

8 pin vs 14 pin (Analogman "Vintage Chip" Mod):

[Mincer]

I've built several BYOC Pedals...Overdrive II, Silver Pony, Tremolo, and 5 Knob Compressor. Their stuff is excellent, and if there is an issue, their forum will sort it out.

[Aceman]

The chip has very little to do with the overdrive sound.

Wasn't thinking of this clip but I like the vids they have done on this stuff. That was my understanding. Rat LM308, yada yada yada...

[LLL]

The chip has very little to do with the overdrive sound.

This is an intriguing tangent, but still - did you actually watch this vid you posted all the way through?

In it, he is comparing various manufacturer 4558s, except for the last handful which were not 4558s, but other numbers (JRC072 NC-bla bla bla etc).

No difference in tone between 4558s, slight difference with the non-4558s.

The other thing you will notice is every one of these chips (he shows pics of them) is the same 8-pin package.


These comparisons in the video are apples to oranges when it comes to the comparisons between the 8 pin (4558 typically - popular chip) versus the 14 pin (Raytheon chip) BOSS OD-1.

In other words, you cannot use this video to make the blanket statement "all chips sound the same no matter what".

Sure, any 8 pin 4558 of various manufacture is going to sound the same compared to the other 8 pin 4558s... after all, it's the same package and same number, just different manufacturer.

All that video proved was any manufacturer's 8 pin 4558 will sound the same as anyone else's.

Now that's not to say the 14 pin BOSS OD-1 doesn't have a couple component changes beyond the 14 pin Raytheon chip - versus the later 8-pin 4558 version, so it's not just the chip here. According to Analogman, both the chip and component changes contribute to the final tonality.

[LLL]

Posted a separate thread with a vid showing 4 variants (and a vid with tone comparisons) here:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/foru...comparison-vid

[Dudeman7]

I'm excited for you, LLL!

BYOC kits are a lot of fun and it's rewarding when you fire it up and it works.

All of their kits I have done (15) sound really, really good. In fact, I have replaced a number of expensive boutique pedals with BYOC stuff.

Be careful though, they are addictive!

[Securb]

In other words, you cannot use this video to make the blanket statement "all chips sound the same no matter what".
.

That is not what I said, is it? Your reading comprehension needs to be brushed up.

[Dudeman7]

This is an intriguing tangent, but still - did you actually watch this vid you posted all the way through?

In it, he is comparing various manufacturer 4558s, except for the last handful which were not 4558s, but other numbers (JRC072 NC-bla bla bla etc).

No difference in tone between 4558s, slight difference with the non-4558s.

The other thing you will notice is every one of these chips (he shows pics of them) is the same 8-pin package.


These comparisons in the video are apples to oranges when it comes to the comparisons between the 8 pin (4558 typically - popular chip) versus the 14 pin (Raytheon chip) BOSS OD-1.

In other words, you cannot use this video to make the blanket statement "all chips sound the same no matter what".

Sure, any 8 pin 4558 of various manufacture is going to sound the same compared to the other 8 pin 4558s... after all, it's the same package and same number, just different manufacturer.

All that video proved was any manufacturer's 8 pin 4558 will sound the same as anyone else's.

Now that's not to say the 14 pin BOSS OD-1 doesn't have a couple component changes beyond the 14 pin Raytheon chip - versus the later 8-pin 4558 version, so it's not just the chip here. According to Analogman, both the chip and component changes contribute to the final tonality.

Agreed. With the exception of the last chip, they are designed to do pretty much the same thing. That test in a Tube Screamer or a Rat is a little flawed, (and maybe part of the point he was trying to prove) as the OP-amp is only responsible for one stage of the circuit.

Conducting that same test with something like a Tech 21 XXL where all of the distortion comes from a pair of cascading op-amps, would likely yield more differences.

Changing the clipping diodes from, germanium or silicon to LED makes a very noticeable difference in a Rat or TS, as does changing component values, especially in the tone stack. (Pretty much what the guy in the video said.)

One other thing, I would never compare pedals to one another by strumming the same chord at one setting and determine that they are all the same. A guitar is a dynamic instrument and the subtitles between technique can make or break whether or not a particular pedal will work for you.